Just bought a 2000 XJR. I tested the aux water pump by sticking it in a bucket of water and it worked. I tested the valve by adjusting the temperature and watching it open and close. I also poured water through it in each position to ensure it was flowing through each outlet. I tested the heater core by running a water hose through each line and watching flow through the other line. The only other thing I can think of is the thermostat or water pump. I assumed the thermostat is good because the temp gauge gets up to temp and has even over heated on one occasion due to low coolant. I have also flushed the system due to the dealership I bought it from putting green coolant in it. Any other suggestions?

 

It's very possible you have an air lock. I read about that problem recently either on this forum or the XK8. If you do a search you should find the bleeding procedure for the intercooler.

 

+1 for RJ's suggestion. The bleeding procedure is tricky on our cars so it is worthwhile to go step by step

 

Is there no heat at all or just very slow to warm up, especially in the cold weather?

 

no heat at all, ever, doesn't matter the rpm or how long I drive.
Just bought a new thermostat. I am going to reflush everything today and see what happens. As far as bleeding the intercooler, is it the method in jtis under filling and bleeding, vehicles with super charger.

 

might have found the problem. one of the check valves was clogged. I Have everything put back together but I didn't have enough coolant to fill the system so now I have to wait for my sister to get home so I can get some more.

 

I have heat now but I am now loosing coolant rapidly. I live about 25 miles from work and by the time I get to work my tank is at least half empty but I don't see a leak or wet spots.

 

It may simply be the system purging air bubbles out the overflow and the coolant taking its place. But, it bears close monitoring.

 

When I flushed and replaced my coolant, I was warned to expect a significant drop in coolant levels and to keep 5 litres of spare fluid in the car. If you have no leaks, no fluid dropping visibly below the car, you are getting rid of air. Keep topping up but make sure you keep the correct ratio of antifreeze.

 

its getting worse now. I now start overheating after only 20 minutes of driving. I did notice today that there is a lot of fluid around where the overflow tank is. would air be causing me to loose so much fluid and cause it to overheat so fast? is there another procedure besides the jtis for bleeding the coolant? This is my only vehicle and im in the military so I cant just call out of work.

 

Your pressure cap may be bad, you should not see fluid being pushed out, unless a head gasket is blown.

 

I hope its not the head gasket, I definitely cant afford that right now. I also noticed that there's a lot of pressure when I open the expansion tank and, from what I've been reading, there's not supposed to be. When I slowly remove the cap I hear air bubbles and I can see the lines moving.

 

Not sure if its relevant but I also got a cel. The codes are P0302 and P1316. The car also shakes at idle. I'm not willing to give up on this car, especially since everyone told me not to buy a Jag, but there is only so much I can afford. I'm hoping its just air and I can save up for the big repairs like tensioners and head gaskets.

 

Tried bleeding the system again. This time I left the cap off and it immediatly started bubbling over. Im assuming that means there is exhaust gasses getting into the system.

 

There is a test kit for exhaust gases in coolant. Try the search function to find out where to get it. If you leave the cover off it should overflow as the engine heats up, but not instantly.

 

I just remembered, NAPA stores sell the test kit.

 

Hang on a minute here.... lets calm this down a little!

At the start of this thread you had no heat, had run the car without overheating except once when you identified low coolant and now you have got to a blown head gasket, after unblocking a pipe that now gives you heat...

This doesn't sound right to me. The chain of events doesn't fit.

Go back to the heat issue when this was the only thing wrong. The act of changing the coolant and unblocking the pipe has given you heat...but a significant air lock would perhaps stop coolant flowing to cool the engine properly.

The system is pressurised so you can expect water to come out of the filler cap when hot (mine did!) and air bubbles will be violently displaced under heat and pressure and cause a lot of bubbling if there are enough of them.

Are there other symptoms of getting water in engine/engine stuff in coolant?

• Typical symptoms of a blown head gasket may include these: bubbles of air coming up into your radiator (remove cap before starting); a leaking radiator; milkshake-colored oil; overheating; rough running; coolant or oil running from head; spark plug(s) that have a green tint (if green coolant); white-colored or sweet-smelling exhaust.
• White smoke from your tail pipe, or loosing coolant through your overflow. Take the cap off and rev the engine: if you see bubbles, or if it comes out, you'll know.
• My car once had a blown head gasket. I had a great deal of coolant loss. The engine lacked power and ran poorly. It had white smoke coming out the tail pipe. And it overheated very quickly. Also, it had water in the oil.
• A quick way to check: Look at your spark plugs; if coolant squirts out, you definitely have a blown head gasket!
• Low compression does not necessarily mean a blown head gasket, but it is a good indicator if there is a sharp drop in compression on one or two cylinders, with no drop in the others. Sometimes a blown head gasket will cause a whistling or wheezing sound, but not always. It will not always cause water to enter the oil - or oil to enter the water - but they are signs to look for. Overheating will almost always occur, due to the exhaust entering the coolant. Check your overflow bottle for exhaust smells. Watch for bubbles or overflow of coolant from the radiator while running the engine. Check for muddy gray-looking oil or bubbles on the dipstick.
• Often (but not always), a blown head gasket will also cause deposit of water on a piece of cardboard held an inch from the tailpipe output while the engine is running (when this is happening, it is likely that the catalytic converter has been ruined and the muffler will corrode in short order as well). Sometimes drops of water will be seen dropping from the end of the tailpipe.
• Another clue: Turn on the heater; often when the head gasket is blown an odor of antifreeze and synthetic rubber will emanate from the heater vents.

I think it can take some time to get air out of the system. Try compressing rubber pipes as the engine warms up to try to get the air moving. This may well raise the water in the top up tank.

 

P0302 Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected

P1316 Injector Circuit / IDM Codes Detected

Are these new, ie do you know for sure the codes were clear before these occurred? If in doubt, clear them and run the car again and check.

 

bubbling started immediately after starting the car for the first time. there was also smoke coming from it. I also removed the engine cap and smoke came from it too. I have definitely noticed a lack of performance and it runs rough at low rpms. the cel flashes when accelerating quickly so I know its not an old light. I will do further testing this weekend when I have time.

 

Get the test kit because it is definitely starting to sound like a blown head gasket.